


Sugar And Soliloquies

by Parapsychology



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Cafe AU, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2020-06-25 17:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19750291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Parapsychology/pseuds/Parapsychology
Summary: Sometimes you have to swallow your pride, as much as he hated to admit it. Jounouchi spent years building himself up so he could do what he had to do, care for his family and protect his friends. Every dead-end job, grueling duel, and long since faded bruise was proof enough of his effort. But even he knew when he had to ask for help, his friends taught him that.





	1. What's in a name?

Sometimes you have to swallow your pride, as much as he hated to admit it. Jounouchi spent years building himself up so he could do what he had to do, care for his family and protect his friends. Every dead-end job, grueling duel, and long since faded bruise was proof enough of his effort. But even he knew when he had to ask for help, his friends taught him that. When he was on his own the money from tournaments and a seasonal part time job here and there was enough for him to make ends meet with a little wiggle room. But he wasn’t alone anymore; Shizuka is with him now and the newest financial threat is lingering just out of sight. She had received a letter of acceptance from her first-choice university but wasn’t approved for any of the scholarships she applied for. Even with financial aid Jounouchi had to admit they couldn’t afford the tuition with only what he was making now. Which brings him to where he is now. the waiting room was nearly unbearably quiet, and while the seats were pretty comfortable, he just couldn’t sit still. He hated this.

The clock mocked him from the lock screen of his phone, he was early. Jounouchi rarely made a habit of showing up to anywhere too early so he could try and avoid a long wait, but this appointment had his nerves in a mess. He was still annoyed he even had to make an appointment. He knows he isn’t on Kaiba’s priority list, hell he wouldn’t be that shocked if the guy even bothered to remember his name after all these years, but part of him had hoped that he would care enough to at least recall their pseudo friendship enough to not have Jounouchi make an appointment a whole two weeks prior. It all was so ridiculous; it was all so Kaiba.

It was five minutes later, and five minutes before his appointment was scheduled that Kaiba’s office door swung open. The man stood quietly just inside the door letting his eyes scan the room before him until the fell coldly on Jounouchi. He was up on his feet faster than he would ever admit to, and Kaiba’s visible sneer before he turned back into his office was almost enough to make him regret this. Energy flitted through his body as he quickly shuffled into the immaculate office. It was stunning, a huge window spanned the length of an entire wall, a small sitting area complete with a sofa and all, and at the end of the room Kaiba’s desk. It was imposing, intimidating, and big enough that even someone like Kaiba looked like he was still trying to fit a role that was all together too huge for anyone to fill. His eyes settled on Kaiba and an all too familiar anxiety filled him, he steeled himself, it’s only been what? Five years? All he needs to do is play nice, ask nicely, and if things go badly find another way.

“Hey Kaiba,” his voice faltered, and he hates himself for it “you seem to be doing well.” The glare boring into him grew more intense.

“What do you want Jounouchi? Finally come for another duel you’ll lose?” his voice sounded tired yet almost hopeful, like all the malice was forced.

“Duel? Wait no Kaiba I’m,” Jounouchi paused before digging into his bag to pull out a few sheets of paper “I haven’t dueled in years. I’m here to ask for a job.” His throat felt like it was constricting on itself, his hands were shaking as he stepped forward to hand the other his resume.

“Why?” Kaiba looked slightly surprised, his eyebrows raised, and his posture readjusted to sitting perfectly straight. the simple question was more than enough to throw Jounouchi off his balance, and he gripped at any semblance of courage he had left. “You’ve never asked for anything from me before, even when it would’ve been the logical thing to do.” He scrambled for a response as the other’s eyes started to scan the resume.

“There wasn’t a point to asking back then you wouldn’t have even bothered to hear me out.”

“You don’t know that.” he never looked up from the paper but his demeaner seemed so much gentler than anything Jounouchi was accustomed to from him.

“Yes, I do,” he flexed his hands before stuffing them in his jacket pockets “we were practically at each other’s throats every given chance,” he tried to look everywhere besides the man in front of him “…Shizuka is going to college soon and I can’t pay for it with what I’m doing now.” He felt himself habitually rocking back onto his heels.

“It doesn’t have to be anything much at all just enough for me to take care of her, but if it’s asking too much I understand.” He wanted to leave so badly, he wanted to run out of the building and never look back. The silence between them was so thick he felt like he was choking down smoke. He took a deep breath and forced himself into a bow, just as his mother taught him to do when asking for favors. “Please.”

“Jounouchi stand up.” Kaiba’s voice almost sounded as shaken as he felt. He flung himself up a little too quickly and felt stars dance around his eyes while the dizziness slowly faded off. Papers were set quietly on the desk and Kaiba propped his hands in front of him.

“I’m going to ask once more, why? Don’t say your sister, you made that perfectly clear, that’s not what I’m asking. Why ask me of all people? You’re smart enough to know we never had a friendship, so like you said, why even bother?” Jounouchi’s blood ran red, but he had to keep his cool, this isn’t for him. He brought his eyes to Kaiba’s and spoke as calmly as he could.

“You’re my last chance.” There was no sugarcoating the situation, he’s exhausted nearly every available option Domino had to offer. “you own half the damn city if I couldn’t be bothered to at least try to ask you now I might as well pack my bags and keep trying somewhere else. I’m trying to avoid her living alone in dorms, but I’m not going to make her miss out on the chance of a better future because of my shortcomings.” His voice had gotten firm as he spoke, but he thought he made his point well enough.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yes, okay, pay attention Jounouchi.” Kaiba stood and brushed his hands over the front of his suit to smooth out any wrinkles. “I’ll have my secretary email you about a suitable position and you can start in two weeks, that should be adequate time to tie any loose ends at your current job, does that sound reasonable?”

“YES! Yes, thank you, you’re a life saver Kaiba.” he couldn’t stop the thanks bubbling from his chest and out of his mouth. Kaiba looked like he felt more out of place by the word and opted for setting a brisk pace across the office instead of responding. Slender hands quickly pulled the door open and feet planted themselves firmly next to it. He almost looked flustered with his ears dusted a light shade of pink and his eyes glaring quite pointedly above his head instead of at him. Jounouchi let his legs shakily carry him to the door before stopping to face Kaiba, he offered a hand and a beaming smile. It took the other a second to react, but slowly knobby fingers firmly grabbed his own and they shook hands for the first time. It felt odd, almost wrong, the warm tingle that ran through his hand and up his arm before he clumsily let it go and shuffled out of the office.

“I mean it Kaiba. Thank you.” And with that he left. Jounouchi didn’t look back when the door softly clicked close as he walked away, but he did look at his hand as the sensation stubbornly persisted.

The walk home was quiet, the buzz of the city faded pleasantly as his thoughts raced faster with each step. Shizuka could get her education, he could pay rent, put dinner on the table. They’ll be secure and a family. He really wasn’t expecting this from Kaiba, it was uncharacteristically kind of him it felt like, but he wasn’t going to complain. This was the chance he needed and he’s glad that swallowing his pride did some good. Jounouchi took the long route home as he tried to think of ways to break the good news to Shizuka, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Kaiba. He’s gotten a little taller since he last seen him, surprisingly, a little less stalky he seemed to have filled out more, looking less like a bean poll and more handsome than he remembered. Jounouchi wasn’t going to lie Kaiba has always been attractive to him, but now that he’s seeing him now, with less ridiculous dueling get-up and as a more sophisticated version of himself he had to admit, Kaiba looked really good. Exhausted in nearly every sense of the word, but good. He stopped at a local convenience store and bought some of Shizuka’s favorite snacks, thoughts still lingering on. They continue like that until he finally lays down for the night, full, happy, and more than a little curious if he will get to see Kaiba again anytime soon.


	2. Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds.

He woke up early morning to the soft pinging of his phone from where he stuffed it under some pillows. It was a persistent and grating noise that even after successfully turning it off (with a fair amount of struggle as he tried to unwrap himself from his bedding) he couldn’t easily lull back into the peaceful slumber he was enjoying only moments before. Jounouchi laid prone for a few more minutes before giving up on being able to fall back asleep and finally checking the offending notification that woke him up. It was from his work e-mail, the one he put on every resume since he was 18 but never received a single email on. The simple banner glared triumphantly at him from his lock screen while boldly displaying Kaiba’s company name above the subject of “Position details”. Jounouchi felt more awake than ever at once as he scrambled to unlock his phone and open the mail app. The email was brief and to the point, workplace, salary (much more than jounouchi ever earned in his life), benefits, and his position.

It was overwhelming to say the least; his hands shook as unsteady fingers tapped out a confirmation and thanks. He proofread his reply thrice before quickly hitting send and anxiously tossing his phone across the bed. Anxiety and pride swelled in his stomach making him all the more frazzled feeling as he sat staring at his phone. Jounouchi really had done it, he really manned up enough to ask for the help he needed, and Kaiba kept his word. He isn’t going to lie and say there was no apprehension about Kaiba’s decision to help. Although he was grateful for the position and for being heard out at all he still feared that he would be sailing on empty promises. Jounouchi knew better at this point than to rely on anyone too much, he had meant it when he said he would go as far as to move and find better opportunities to secure his sisters future.

Slowly he made his way off his bed and into the bathroom to get ready for the day, leaving his phone on the bed still too wound up to look at it again. It felt like cloud nine, being able to be confident in at least one part of the future. Jounouchi went through his morning routine with a bounce in his step. There were still a few hours until he had to be at work so he might as well make a nice breakfast for once. They hardly ever ate breakfast together; it would be a nice change of pace to herald in the future. After he was washed, dressed, and ready for the day jounouchi stuffed his phone into his back pocket and set out to the apartment’s kitchen.

Cooking isn’t something jounouchi would say he’s good at. If he was being honest, he would admit that most of his expertise lays in a few breakfast meals and quick cheap dinners. But what he could make he was gold at. When they were little their dad would make pancakes once in a while because their mom didn’t know how, but after everything happened, after jounouchi had lost Shizuka, pancakes didn’t happen anymore. After all those years once she had finally moved in with him, Jounouchi took it upon himself to learn how to make the best pancakes possible, and he was good at it. He enjoyed seeing what all he could do with a simple and easy recipe. It reminded him of dueling in a way, remembering all the ingredients and combining them in different ways felt like memorizing his cards and building off of each one to make a successful turn.

Shizuka wandered out to the kitchen about halfway through making pancakes, woken up by his music and the smell of food. She lingered at the edge of the kitchen still in her pajamas for a moment before settling on plopping down at their table. Their apartment isn’t much but it’s home. Most of the furniture was either given to them or bought secondhand with the exception of their beds and the couch but they didn’t mind, it gave everything an air of personality and of being comfortably worn in, homey. When Jounouchi was finally able to afford a place for the both of them it had been a flurry of trying to make his bare bones decoration style into something more habitable for his sister, he wanted nothing more than for her to feel safe and at home here. All his friends helped of course, mostly Anzu and Mai who helped him find furniture for his sisters’ room and Yugi who forced him to throw out his old couch he got off the curb a few years before hand. It took a while and a few paychecks to get here but seeing Shizuka contently relaxed at the table was more than enough proof that it was well worth it. They didn’t speak until Jounouchi placed their plates on the table and they started their meal.

“So….” She piped up between bites “You never said where exactly you got this new job from.” Jounouchi took a few more bites while he considered how to answer. While Shizuka has always been a loving and forgiving girl, he wasn’t exactly sure how she would feel about him technically working for Kaiba. She’s met the dude, she’s heard stories, and forgiving as she is she’s not stupid or a push over when it comes to the people she cares about safety.

“Not gonna lie sis, you’re not gonna like it.” The plate in front of his was starting to look more interesting by the second while Shizuka bore holes into his skull with her squint. “It’s nothing bad, I’m not getting involved with any lowlifes again or anything, but you ain’t gonna like it.”. Her face scrunched up as she went to glaring at her own plat instead of Jounouchi for a few minutes before she spoke up again.

“It’s nothing I can get mad about I’m not your mom Jou, but if its dangerous I’d rather you tell me now rather than me finding out when something bad happens later.”

“It’s not dangerous I promise, It’s just a café job.”

“But who gave it to you Jou? I’ve seen all the applications you’ve filled out and both of us know none of them were for cafes.” She set her fork down before locking eyes with him. “I don’t want you getting into trouble for my sake again.”

Jounouchi knew nothing was going to happen, but he hadn’t anticipated that she would be so worried over the surprise job. Maybe he should have, he necessarily doesn’t have the best track record and she knows that just as much as he does. They sat there for a few moments in silence before he decided on something. Jounouchi stood up from his seat and walked over to the other side of the table to be next to her before kneeling.

“Hey, listen, I promise I’m not getting in any trouble, I haven’t in years and I’m not going to start again now” he stretched out his arm and held out his pinky finger. Shizuka gave him a soft smile before linking her own pinky with his.

“At least tell me where you’re working “

“I think it’s called Tower Café…’ he let go of her pinky before opting to sit on the floor instead of kneel and yanking his phone from his pocket “yeah it’s called Tower Records its nearby.’

“Then I’ll have to visit once you get started.’

“Looking forward to it!”

Jounouchi’s day sped by faster than he preferred. His current boss took his two weeks’ notice sadly but wished him luck all the same. Work sped by, coworkers giving him a fair amount of grief about leaving, but they were happy for him. He felt dazed. He had worked here for three years now and it was nerve wreaking to think that he finally had to move on, but it was exciting as well. And slowly but surly the two weeks passed without incident, Jounouchi steeled himself it was time to move to this next part of his life.

The last thing Jounouchi was expecting when he steps into the modern looking café was to see Seto Kaiba, and yet there he was lounging in a booth sipping a cup of tea, and the panic from two weeks ago set back in. he took one deep breath, than another, before finally stepping forward.

“Hello Mr. Kaiba” he forced himself to be as polite and cordial as possible but referring to Kaiba properly left a bitter taste on his tongue, it sounded too strange to hear his own voice stumble of the greeting. Lingering qualms and the small flickering of rivalry aside, Kaiba technically was his boss’ boss and he wasn’t looking to get fired. Kaiba locked his eyes on him and squinted.

“You’ve been early twice now, when did you get so punctual?” his voice lacked any malice and nearly sounded genuinely curious, if Jounouchi didn’t know better he would’ve actually believed the other cared.

“Believe it or not I take my employment seriously.” It’s difficult to not wane back into being defensive and shoot back more of his own snarky comments, but Kaiba did him a favor so Jounouchi bites his tongue. All he got in reply was an amused hum. Jounouchi anxiously tapped the tip of his shoe against the ground as the silence between them became more prominent with each passing second.

“Ah well see ya, I guess?” he inched backwards back towards the front desk unsure of what to do next. He wanted to keep talking to kaiba, surprisingly, but something told him that trying to prolong the clearly over conversation probably wouldn’t end up well on his side. Once he felt he was in the clear and out of the others line of sight Jounouchi made a bee line towards the front counter where a woman was working the register.

“Excuse me I’m suppose to be starting today, I’m Jounouchi Katsuya.” She took a moment to process what he was saying, her face contorting into a confused look before clapping her hands together suddenly.

“Oh!” both the gesture and the sudden exclamation were enough to make Jounouchi start to feel out of his element. “Mr. Kaiba said you would be here soon and you’re right on time! We have a few minutes before opening so follow me and we can get you all set up okay?”

“Wait? Kaiba said I would what?” but she didn’t give him a response as she hurriedly placed a bell on the counter before making her way towards a door to the left of the counter and holding it open. Jounouchi took a quick glance back at where Kaiba was sitting before rushing into the door. The back area of the cafe consisted of an immaculate kitchen, staff bathroom, and lastly a small office tucked in a corner room where he followed the woman to. It wasn’t until she sat behind the desk that her eyes widened in shock. She seemed a little scatterbrained but in a charming way

“I forgot to introduce myself how rude! My name is Haru and I’m the boss here! We just need you to fill out some paperwork and get into uniform and then we can get started alright?” Jounouchi was positive they were skipping a few steps but wasn’t going to argue, anxious to get started already. Haru laid out and explained each form she handed to him as he made his way through the small pile of contracts, union papers, and several other things. As he was finishing up Haru turned to the space behind her desk and began fishing in the boxes there.

“You know…” she began, her back still to him “I was so surprised when I heard from Mr. Kaiba that we were getting a new employee. He’s so picky about who works here.” That certainly caught his attention and caused Jounouchi to falter on this last signature.

“Whys that? I don’t see why a big shot CEO like him would care that much about a single café?” he felt his eyebrows furrow together in confusion.

“Well he does come here every morning for tea so I guess someone like him has to be careful when it comes to who handles his food” Haru spoke in a gentle tone usually used by aunts or grandparents when talking about a child, It felt strange to hear. “I won’t lie though; he does seem to have a tendency to micromanage.”

“Sounds about right.” He sounded more bitter than he intended.

“What do you mean?” Haru asked over her shoulder as she finally found what she was searching for in the boxes.

“We went to school together” saying it felt like he was unveiling some top-secret information despite the fact that if you followed the dueling circles at the time it was fairly common information. Jounouchi’s voice was quieter still, as if Kaiba heard him talking about this he would have his head. “I know all about his micromanaging abilities.” Haru gave a hearty laugh in response before turning around holding some folded clothes and a shoe box in her hands.

“Well I’ll say he must regard you pretty highly because he doesn’t let just any bozo work here.” She pressed the clothes into his arms, “he even paid for your uniform right down to the shoes!’

“Oh.” The clothes felt lighter than they did a second ago.

“You can go ahead and change in the employee restroom and we’ll get your employee locker set up later today, but after today make sure to be in uniform before you arrive. Get changed and meet me at the counter and we can get you started.”

The uniform fit perfectly, which annoyed Jounouchi to no end. Of course, Kaiba would figure out his size, don’t know how he did it since they aren’t exactly the same size, but he did. Still, he was grateful, nonetheless. Kaiba went out of his way to keep his word and even went beyond what Jounouchi could’ve expected. His hands fumbled as he tied the apron around his waist with unpracticed confusion. He tried to make it a nice bow, but he knew better and that it probably resembled a tangled knot instead. At last he washed his hands, took a last glance in the mirror, and stepped out. He placed his folded clothes in the office for safe keeping before making his way out to the counter to start his training.

Kaiba was just heading out when he got out to the counter. They stared at each other the air thick with uncertainty before Kaiba smirked and turned tail and left. Jounouchi didn’t know how to feel about all of this, but especially how to feel about that. On one hand he was grateful for the opportunity, on the other he felt cornered. It was a lot to process that he didn’t have time to deal with at the moment. Training was difficult at first, but he got in control of the situation (with Haru’s help) as more customers came in through his shift. After a few hours more of his new coworkers came in and based on first impressions alone Jounouchi thinks they’ll all get along just fine. Towards the end of his shift Shizuka, true to her words, came in to visit and see for herself that he’s not getting into trouble. She seemed pleasantly surprised before her eyes fell onto the large KC logo displayed proudly behind the counter.

“You were right I don’t like it,” She smiled fondly at Jounouchi before continuing “but at least I know you’re in good hands.”

“Yeah, yeah, you caught me,” Jounouchi waved his hand to the side dismissively, a smile plastered on his face “I do like it here a lot though, its good work, so I think you’re right about being in good hands thing heh.”

“As long as he doesn’t try to get you killed again” Her voice held a joking air, but he wasn’t dense enough to not hear the underlying seriousness in her tone.

“Hey, that only happened a few times, water under the bridge! Are you going to order or what, kiddo? I have a twenty more minutes left so if you get something we can walk home together, sound good?”

“Sounds perfect!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> future chapters will be longer but as im still experimenting with the tone of the fic and with the story itself these first few chapters (1-3) are primarily buildup! ill hopefully have chapter 3 typed and posted within the next week but im not making any promises.


	3. How oft when men are at the point of death

Each day his job got easier as Jounouchi got the hang of the equipment and started to memorize the drinks and recipes. The first week was rough, and if he was being honest, he screwed up more than a few orders. But with time came experience and actual enjoyment from his work. The first week also set a schedule of events that started each day. Kaiba was usually already there when he arrived or was just getting there as well. Jounouchi would take his order, the same tea every day, and they would trade a few remarks. It wasn’t always bad, Kaiba had kept his habit of insulting Jounouchi over any number of things but it was much more toned down now. Then Jounouchi would return to the counter and work as normal until Kaiba left and they nodded to each other in goodbye. It was an exciting and almost nostalgic experience every day and he found himself looking forward to seeing Kaiba each morning. The first change in the schedule came early his second week when Jounouchi entered the café to find not one Kaiba, but both Kaiba siblings at the normal booth chatting lightly. He lit up at the sight of Mokuba, Jounouchi hasn’t spoken to the kid in years. He’s grown taller, dressed more like a young businessman than a kid now, but despite his casual suit he still had his long unruly hair and scuffed sneakers on.

“Hey Mokuba! It’s good to see you again kid!” Jounouchi called out happily as he made his way over to the brothers.

“Jounouchi?!” Mokuba’s face broke out into a smile at the sight of him before he turned his attention to his brother and spoke in a jokingly accusatory tone “Why didn’t you tell me he worked here Seto?”

“Must have slipped my mind.” Kaiba spoke as he continued to type on his phone, a smirk playing at his lips.

“Sure,” Mokuba’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. He turned back to Jounouchi still smiling “How’ve you been Jounouchi? I haven’t seen you in what? Four years?”

“Five actually, and I’m doing pretty good, got me a swanky new job and all that… what about you? I see you’re all grown up now.” an easy smile rested on his face, this certainly is nostalgic, and he’s always had a soft spot for the kid.

“He’s going to college.” Kaiba spoke up to answer before Mokuba got a chance, his voice was proud.

“That’s not surprising he’s always been a smart kid.”

“Yes, you’re right about that.” Kaiba had a soft smile as he looked up from his phone to look across the booth table at his brother.

“What’s your major?” He turned his attention back to the younger sibling.

“Electrical engineering and programming! I want to make my own game system someday.” It was refreshing to see someone so excited about their goals and Jounouchi couldn’t help but mirror Mokuba’s energetic smile.

“Sounds great! I need to get working so let me get your orders really quick before I check in, Kaiba the normal?” Kaiba hummed a confirmation and Mokuba went to thinking it over for a second.

“Caramel cappuccino, please.” Mokuba took a glance at his brother to check that he was still looking at his phone before mouthing ‘extra foam’.

“Alright!” he winked at Mokuba to let him know he got that “I’ll bring them in just a few minutes.”

After clocking in the matter of making drinks and bringing them out was simple. With a careful focus he prepared both of the drinks, during most of his shift preparing orders usually felt rushed and stressful, but in the mornings when he could take his time it was almost therapeutic. it felt out of character for him to enjoy something like this, but after living such a fast childhood taking a quiet moment to do something simple was refreshing. He wouldn’t lie and say he missed the dueling, the tournaments, but seeing Kaiba visibly relax when Jounouchi hands him his tea solidifies the fact that they needed this break from the chaos, they all did. Kaiba has calmed down so much over the years since he let dueling take a back seat and started to focus on Kaiba Land and his brother. He knows he’s changed too, gotten less danger prone, less impulsive, he’s let himself grow. Jounouchi held onto this warm proud feeling even after he gave Mokuba his drink and made his way to the front counter.

The next change happened one week later when Jounouchi had gotten to work a few minutes earlier than usual. He leaned against the counter tapping his fingers lightly against the edge of the register, letting his eyes dart up to the door every few minutes when he heard someone walking past. Eventually he gave in and pulled his phone from his apron pocket and scrolled in silence for a few minutes before the soft bell above the door caught his attention. The person was a pretty average man, not who Jounouchi was hoping to see but he greeted the customer with a smile none the less. It wasn’t until he was serving the man that he heard the bell again followed by the familiar click of heeled boots walking on hardwood floor. He almost couldn’t help the smirk tugging at his lips as he told the man to enjoy his drink and turned to see Kaiba typing furiously from his usual booth.

“I’ll have it out in just a few minutes.” He said over his shoulder to Kaiba as he walked past him making his way to the kitchen. All he got was an unsophisticated grunt in reply as the other continued whatever he was writing on his phone.

By the time Jounouchi was bringing out Kaiba’s drink, the others foot has begun tapping impatiently as he typed. Instead of handing the cup to him he just set the cup and saucer on the table, not really wanting to interrupt whatever had Kaiba so up wound up.

“Took you long enough, Jounouchi.” Kaiba’s voice was sharp he almost sounded like he use too as a teen. Jounouchi huffed a breath of air out of his nose, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Well. You’re welcome.” He shot back harshly before going to turn on his heels. His quick retreat was halted when he heard a timid voice speak up from behind him.

“Excuse me,” it was the man from earlier “Sorry to bother you, please take this.” For the first time since Jounouchi saw him today Kaiba’s typing relented as the man pressed a napkin into Jounouchi’s hand before quickly making his way out of the café. Dumbfounded he looked at the napkin to find a sloppily scrawled phone number and name written across it.

“Huh.” He flipped the napkin over to make sure he didn’t miss anything before stuffing it in his apron’s front pocket. Kaiba scoffed.

“No one wants to see that, Jounouchi, keep it out of the workplace.” He was all but glaring over the edge of his teacup. Jounouchi felt his fist involuntarily flex.

“It’s not like I asked him for it!” He stuffed his hands into his pockets “just because no one wants to give you their number doesn’t mean you have to be a prick.” His jaw clenched as he tried to keep himself from yelling. Kaiba laughed, but it was short, cold, and dry.

“Ha. You’re a bigger moron than I thought if you think I can’t do something as simple as get someone’s number.”

“You know what? Business cards don’t count, Kaiba, and you wanna know something else? No amount of long legs and pretty blue eyes can hide a horrible personality like yours.” Jounouchi knew his voice was teetering on the edge of yelling but he was an adult and didn’t need to put up with this. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work, which you so kindly interrupted.”

Jounouchi didn’t even bother waiting for Kaiba to respond before stomping towards the counter to gather the disinfectant and paper towels. He walked past him without even a passing glance towards the table the other man was occupying earlier. He took the napkin from his pocket and threw it with the rest of the clutter left on the table, before gathering it all up and wiping the table down. When he walked past Kaiba the second time he kept his eyes up, avoiding acknowledging the others existence despite feeling Kaiba’s eyes following him. Jounouchi sat at the counter for five minutes after that before Kaiba rushed out of the café without the regular goodbye. He spent another moment glaring at the door before huffing and getting up to clean off the booth. It was just as Kaiba usually left it, all except the napkin sticking out from under the cup’s saucer. When he picked up the cup much to his surprise, he saw a ¥1,000 note and a neat but stiff ‘Sorry’ written on the napkin. Jounouchi didn’t get tips often, and this was definitely the first time he got one from Kaiba, but what blew him away more was the word. Never, not once, had he seen Kaiba use that to anyone besides his brother. As much as he wanted to disregard it, he felt his anger fizzle and die out, the note and the napkin found their way into his pocket before he wiped off the table.

The next morning Jounouchi had Kaiba’s tea ready by the time the other had arrived. He set it on the booth’s table silently along with a napkin placed under the saucer. He had kept the note short and simple, ‘I’m sorry too’. He had felt bad about what he said and if even Kaiba could apologize he should return the favor. This time Kaiba stayed longer than he usually did, and when it was finally time he did leave, he shocked Jounouchi for the second time in just as many days.

“See you tomorrow, Jounouchi.” His voice was quiet and level but there was something about it that knocked the wind right out of him.

“See ya, Kaiba.” he struggled to say back before Kaiba left, almost missing the small smile playing at the others lips as he turned out the door.

Days passed easily after that, neither of them bringing up the fight or the new air between them. If felt as if they reached a new crossroad and there was a choice to be made but neither of them knew what road to take next. He was well into a month of working at the café and Jounouchi let himself fall back into a comfortable rhythm. It was all quiet car rides and hot tea. The next two weeks remained much the same, a month of working there came and went and with the fifth week Kaiba broke the cycle once again. Today when handing Kaiba his tea, instead of letting Jounouchi walk off back to the counter with a hum of thanks, he spoke up.

“Jounouchi, are you free this Saturday?” He didn’t even look up from his cup while speaking, letting his eyes stay firmly glued to the amber liquid in his hands. The question hit Jounouchi harder than a ton of bricks. He could feel the hair on his neck stand up and his fight or flight instincts rush through his veins. He knows its an innocent question but hearing it from Kaiba of all people felt strange and made him apprehensive. Jounouchi stuffed his hands into his back pockets to calm his anxiety before bringing himself to answer.

“why do you want to know?” he spoke it slowly, cautiously, even suspiciously. There weren’t many reasons for Kaiba to ask something like that. They weren’t close and he wouldn’t necessarily call them friends, so he treads carefully. Kaiba sipped his tea slowly, mulling over his response.

“I have to attend a company function, and Mokuba made me promise that this time I would bring a ‘friend’.” He took another drink, looking distracted. “I don’t exactly have anyone else he would quantify as a friend.” The anxiety rushed out of Jounouchi all at one and he felt himself soften. He had to remind himself that this wasn’t something Kaiba was comfortable with either. He smiled.

“So, you want me to be your Scapegoat?” Kaiba scowled at the mention of the card, his eyes digging daggers into his tea.

“As if I would gamble my luck on a situation like you” for the first time since they started talking Kaiba pulled his eyes away from his cup and looked up at Jounouchi. “Are you free or not, I don’t like wasting my time.”

“Yeah I’m Free, I’ll go to your stuffy party calm down.” His smile spread even farther across his face and Kaiba’s demeanor seemed to relax as he let out a puff of air. He took a large drink to finish off his tea before setting down his cup and pulling his phone from his pocket.

“It’s safe to assume you don’t have a three-piece suit, correct?” he was already tapping away quickly at his phone, brows furrowed.

“Not one that fits.” Jounouchi knew his smile was obnoxious at this point but that didn’t stop the slight joy bubbling in his chest or the small chuckle that escaped his lips when Kaiba looked up from his phone to shot him a glare.

“Saturday evening, I can have you picked up and brought to the party, there will be a suit ready for you. is that alright?”

“Whatever floats your boat, rich boy.” Kaiba sighed in annoyance but there was no venom to the action.

“Just be ready and email your measurements over tonight.” Kaiba finally stood from his seat, catching Jounouchi off guard and causing him to stumble back a step to make room. They stood there in silence for a beat before Kaiba reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a bright white business card. He seemed to falter for a second as he quickly placed it in Jounouchi’s own shirt pocket and turning tail. He left the café before Jounouchi could even process what had just happened. He hadn’t missed the feeling of Kaiba’s fingers accidently bumping his chest or the light pink that stained the tip of the other’s ears. Where the card sat in his pocket felt heavy, and the warm tingling sensation he was slowly being accustomed to blossomed over his chest and flooded over his being. Jounouchi stood there for a long minute, hand placed lightly over his shirt pocket, and gaze towards the door, until a new customer walking in spurred him into action.

“I’ll be right with you ma’am.” He clumsily grabbed Kaiba’s empty cup and quickly retreated behind the counter, head still lost in thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im not sure when the next chapter will be out but the rough draft is already written so eh. thank you again for reading! if you have any questions or just want to stay updated on my work my twitter is @ parapsychoiogy .


	4. O, She Doth Teach The Torches To Burn Bright

When he called Yugi that afternoon the last thing he wanted to do was delve into everything that was going on, but he needed help. The phone only rang twice before it was answered.

“Hey, Jou! what’s up?” Yugi’s voice was bright and clear, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

“Hey Yuge, do you know how to take measurements? I’m having a dilemma…” the phone call was short after that, but he was at Yugi’s in the next hour, frazzled and still lost in his own thoughts. When he knocked on the door it was opened within seconds. He hadn’t had a chance to see his friend in week, so the familiar face beaming up at him was more than welcomed. Before they could even say Hi, he found himself hugging his best friend tightly. They stood there for a minute just hugging before Yugi pulled him inside.

“Jou, what’s up your called worried me?” Yugi has always been one to worry about his friends, that’s one of the things Jounouchi loved about him. They made their way through the closed Game shop and up the stairs in the back before heading to Yugi’s room.

“It’s nothing bad I promise, it’s just a little” he waved his hands around trying to think of the right word “Scary? I guess? A little confusing?” he knew his voice lacked the grandiose confidence he tended to have, and he tried to brush it off with a laugh. “You’re not gonna believe any of this.”. they finally made it to his room and Jounouchi made a bee line for the bed before flopping onto his back.

“So, what’s the situation?” Yugi sat next to him, worry still plastered on his face.

“I got that new job a few weeks back, remember? I’m pretty sure I told you that part already.” Yugi nodded slowly, confused with where this was going. “Okay so like, I asked Kaiba for the job and that’s all well and good I have a job.” Yugi’s confusion morphed into something serious, the same determined look he gets when he duels showing up.

“He’s not messing with you again, is he?” despite his hard expression, the worry in his voice was thick. Yugi flopped down on his back to lay next to him.

“Yes? No? That’s the thing Yugi, I’m not really sure… its confusing.” Jounouchi’s hands found themselves plastered to his own face; fingers barely splayed out enough to peek through. “The fact that he even gave me the job is confusing enough, he didn’t have to do that yuge. You know after all those years of just fighting I never thought he would even care to see my face again. And now its like this endless back and forth. He says something rude like were still 15, I shoot back, but it never gets any farther than that and its? nice?? Almost like were friends now.” He let his hands drag down his face until they reached his chin, just barely still cupping his face. “Then he goes and starts a fight!” his hands violently fling into the air above him in exasperation before flopping back down onto his torso, his right hand finding a spot above his breast pocket. “and he apologized! Kinda …. More of an apology than I’ve ever seen him give at least.” Jounouchi’s fingers play at the edge of the business card in his pocket. “He put this here, didn’t even try to hand it to me.” And his throat felt like it was constricting on itself as his eyes began to sting. “It doesn’t make any sense! One minute he’s calling me a moron and the next he’s giving me a tip and getting damn near flirtatious.” Yugi seemed to be at a loss of words as he watched a few stray tears make their way down Jounouchi’s cheeks. They sat in silence for a moment before Yugi finally spoke up.

“Want me to beat him up for you?” Yugi’s voice was firm but the goofy smile plastered over his face was infectious and it wasn’t before long Jounouchi and him were laughing amongst themselves. He felt his tears ebb away while they worked through the laughing fir and was thankful he has a friend like Yugi. Sometimes it was hard to open up to the others, and while he loved them all he knows theres not the same kind of understanding between them like he has with Yugi.

“Okay but seriously,” Yugi was still fighting to hold down his chuckles “sounds like a crush honestly.”

“Yuge people don’t call you a moron when they have a crush on you.” He felt his mouth tighten into a thin line and his eyebrows furrow. But all the same his heart constricted and fluttered in his chest under his hand.

“Yeah, unless you’re Kaiba. You know how he acts Jou. You saw him with Atem.” Yugi threw him an understanding look. “I could be wrong but that’s what i think at least.”

“I think you spent too many hours playing card games, Yugi.” His fingers played at the edge of his shirts collar “Besides why would he like me. We never exactly been very, uh, compatible.” The sarcastic raised eyebrow Yugi threw at him made the blood run to his face, Jounouchi sat up and stared down at Yugi defensively

“okay wise guy what do you know that I don’t huh? You know I’m right you saw how we acted.”

“I just think maybe you could be compatible.” He turned to face the ceiling all while smiling.

“Oh Shaddup.” And they sat in silence for a minute before Jounouchi spoke up again. “Hey remember Alcatraz?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget it, Jou.” His voice sounded almost wistful.

“I think that’s when I started to accept that I felt like this.” Jounouchi knew his voice was barely a whisper, he wasn’t even sure is he actually said it. He didn’t know why he was so defensive about this; it wasn’t exactly a secret that he had a crush on kaiba when they were younger. The only people who didn’t know in the end were probably him and Kaiba himself. Jounouchi had a lot of trouble coming to terms with his attraction, it was easier just to brush it all aside as pent up frustration and natural competitive feelings. The first time he really had to face the facts Honda and Anzu all but cornered him before the Battle City finals. By all means he still wanted to put that rich boy in his place, but at this point he couldn’t lie and say that was all he felt. Yugi looked at him and pat his arm before finally going to stand up.

“We all knew” he had a smile on his face, “You didn’t exactly hide it well.”

“This is scary Yuge…” he stayed seated feeling like a a marble statue “Its messing me up, I cant tell if this is all to just mess with me and make me look stupid or if he actually, I don’t know, what if he is flirting with me?” he knew he was blushing, the heat that’s radiating from his face was nearly suffocating. “I feel fifteen again.”

“At least you’re not trying to get yourself killed by dueling him anymore.”

“Hey that’s a low blow!”

“you still watch his TV duels to ‘get intel’?” Yugi had the biggest shit eating grin he’s ever seen. Jounouchi lurched forward and pulled yugi down and into a headlock.

“I was getting intel you little punk!” he let yugi go after lightly tussling his hair “I even nearly beat him a few times.”

“I know, I know. I bet you could still beat him if you didn’t quit.” Yugi said while stumbling to stand back up.

“No, I wasn’t like you guys. You two are on a whole different level than me, even if I was still playing, I would always be one move behind.” He finally stood, placing two hands on this small of his back before leaning back and earning him a satisfying crack.

“you seem to forget you own your red eyes again only because you _are_ on the same level as us, Jounouchi.” He placed his hand on Jounouchi’s arm before giving him a light playful shove. “come on let’s do those measurements I’m sure Kaiba’s getting an ulcer waiting for that email.”

Jounouchi ran his fingers through his hair and moved to the center of the room before lifting up his arms and spinning in a circle “so how do we do this? When did you learn how to do this anyways, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it when I looked it up?”

“Jou I wear all leather I kind’ve need to know this.” He laughed before walking over to his desk and rummaging in the top drawn for a moment before finally pulling out a thing of neatly wrapped measuring tape. “you know you could have just asked Shizuka though, im sure she knows how to do this too.” He said almost absentmindedly as he slowly unspooled the tape.

“yeah I guess you’re right,” he was starting to feel a little anxious as yugi walked around him “but I’m glad I asked you instead.”

Jounouchi didn’t like getting his measurements taken at all. It was weird and while it wasn’t too awkward, he still came away from it feeling dumb. It took a while and some scolding for moving around too much but eventually they got everything written down, Yugi even helped him e-mail it all correctly. They spent a few hours after that just enjoying each other’s company, talked about some new dueling strategies and how Yugi’s new game he is making was coming along. Eventually Jounouchi did have to leave, it was getting dark and there’s dinner to make. They hugged for a good minute at the door then Jounouchi was off.

-

The next morning Jounouchi opened the café door to a different situation than usual. The booth that was typically occupied was left untouched. He looked around the corner to check the rest of the café, but the entire place was empty except for Haru working behind the counter.

“Hey Haru! No Kaiba today?” he cast another look towards the empty seats.

“No, he came in extra early today, you just missed him.” She didn’t look up from what she was doing. “go and get signed in I need to keep restocking, closing shift left that for us to do.”

“right…”

Jounouchi was irritated his entire shift. He didn’t know why he was so bothered by just missing Kaiba. He guessed it could be because Kaiba sitting there every morning had been a given for weeks, or that after what he pulled yesterday Jounouchi might have been a little excited to see him, but it got under his skin, nonetheless. The next two days the same thing happened so that by near the end of his shift on Friday Jounouchi was up the wall. He had a half an hour before he could clock out when the doors bell ringing caught his attention. His first thought when he saw Kaiba was that he was going to chew that rich boy out into the next week, but before that thought could even fully process the sight before him immediately cut it off. He looked exhausted. Jounouchi felt his shoulders drop from the tense he held the last few days and an understanding smile tug at his lips.

“The normal?” he spoke up before Kaiba could get more than a few feet into the door.

“Yes,” he seemed a little startled “please.” He quietly added before sulking his way to his usual spot. Jounouchi wasted no time brewing the tea and taking it out to Kaiba, he took extra care this time round to make sure it was perfect. Kaiba was leaning forward in his seat pressing his forehead into his hands when Jounouchi came around. He set the tea on the table, but this time lingered around instead of turning tail.

“Ya doing okay Kaiba?” he expected to get a snide comment shot back about minding his own business, but to his surprise Kaiba still leaning forward picked up his tea and in a strained but quiet voice spoke up.

“I hate parties.” He took to just holding the cup near his face “a whole load of pointless work for nothing more than a migrane.”

“Oh, it can’t be that bad, at least you get to have fun, right?” Jounouchi tried to give him a sympathetic smile before adjusting the bulk of his weight onto one of his legs. Kaiba looked over at him with an eyebrow raised as if to say ‘really?’.

“Right, you don’t do fun…” he readjusted himself onto his other leg awkwardly when Kaiba turned back to his tea. He looked around for a moment not wanting to walk away just yet and cleared his throat.

“if you’re free after my shift we could go to the game shop and look at cards,” He scratched at the back of his neck nervously “that might get your mind off of it for a while.” He stood there with no response for nearly a minute and was about to go back to the counter in defeat thinking he was being ignored.

“I…” Kaiba spoke slowly, almost uncharacteristically quiet. “I would like that.” It caught Jounouchi by surprise.

“Really?” his voice might have raised an octave, but he would never admit to it. “I get off in,” he checked his watch “like ten minutes so I’ll be back then, okay?” Kaiba hummed back in reply. Jounouchi took that as his queue to walk back to the counter. One more customer came in before Jounouchi got off, but finally he was able to grab his things and clock out. Kaiba was by the front door waiting for him when he left the back room, and held the door open for him as the stepped out of the café. It was strange, almost intimate feeling from Kaiba, who before would have let the thick door swing back at Jounouchi without waiting, but not unwelcomed.

“Are we walking, or should I call for my driver?” Kaiba was already reaching into his jacket for his phone.

“There’s no need to do that we can just take my car.” He waved his hand dismissively at Kaiba’s phone “its right over here come on.” He headed towards where he parked this morning, only stopping a second for Kaiba to start following. Once they got to his car Kaiba threw him a skeptical look.

“Jounouchi, does that thing even run?”

“Hey! I know he ain’t the prettiest, but he hasn’t let my down yet” he pats the hood of the car lovingly “wouldn’t trade this guy for nothing, its ride or die.”

“Let’s hope for my company’s sake it’s not die.”

"it’s a figure of speech you dingus” he walked around and unlocked the driver’s side “that door doesn’t lock so just get on in” Jounouchi tossed his bag into the back seat before climbing in behind the steering wheel. When he turned to Kaiba out of habit from years of making sure Shizuka was properly buckled he couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped.

“What is it?” Kaiba asked angrily, looking as uncomfortable and out of place as Jounouchi has ever seen him.

“Nothing, nothing!” he put up his hands in front of himself as surrender “I just never thought I’d see you in here that’s all.” His laughter slowly died off, but a small smile stayed firmly plastered to his face. “The lever to move the seat back is on the side of the chair, long legs.”

“I could say the same thing” he muttered while readjusting his seat “Alright, I’m ready.”

“Okay let’s go!” Jounouchi enthusiastically turned the key and beamed proudly when the engine turned over without a problem. The last CD he was listening to kicked on quietly before he started to back out of his spot.

“If you want you can change the CD or station or whatever I don’t mind, I have a few more CDs in the glovebox,” he kept his eyes on what he was doing but jutted his head in the direction of the glove box “It’s a ten minute drive from here.”

Normally he might have been embarrassed by the state of his car, but he decided a long time ago the he has nothing to prove to Kaiba and wasn’t going to change that now, even with Kaiba flipping through his CDs making weird faces.

“These are all American?” he looked up from the CDs to Jounouchi “do you even know English?” Jounouchi just laughed.

“I probably know English better than you, Kaiba.” The face the other pulled was almost enough to make him double over if he wasn’t driving.

“ **You’re bluffing**.” Kaiba’s English was perfect.

“ **Wanna bet on that, Rich Boy**.” His English was rocky at best, but it was enough to make them both laugh. Kaiba’s laugh was light, hardly there, but a laugh all the same, and he couldn’t help the swell of bride in his chest for being able to get though at least some of the other’s façade.

“Okay yeah I don’t know English. Most of those were gifts or souvenirs I picked up from when we were in America because that whole Atlantis mess.” He paused tapping lightly on the steering wheel while waiting for the light they’re stopped at to turn green “I should have some normal CDs mixed somewhere in there” in the end Kaiba ended up putting the pile of loose CDs back into the glove box.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, neither of them sure what to say or how they really ended up in this situation. It was awkward and the tension seemed to grow by the second. Kaiba didn’t seem to mind all too much, but Jounouchi could see the light tapping of his fingers.

“What’s eating at you Kaib?” he took a daring glance over at Kaiba’s face only to see the slight brow furrow creasing his face.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” And nearly docile turned rigid and guarded again. Jounouchi let it go, it does no good to pry when someone doesn’t want it.

“eh, your loss,” he pulled up to the curb around the corner from the shop and parked “Just know it doesn’t hurt to talk to people sometimes.” The got out of the car in silence. They could never find the balance between friendly and distant.

Jounouchi held the game shops door open for Kaiba before stepping in behind him. He was thankful to see Yugi was working today instead of the old man, as much as he loved Mr. Muto, he knew Kaiba probably wouldn’t have been very comfortable being there with him right now. The confused look that appeared on Yugi’s face quickly disappeared when he saw Jounouchi behind Kaiba.

“Hey guys!” his voice was surprised, but bright and friendly all the same “What’s up? It’s nice to see you again Kaiba! “Jounouchi could see Kaiba visibly tense up but the other kept his voice level.

“Hello Yugi.”

“So, what brings you two here?”

“Cards, Yuge! The new booster packs in yet?” there was a tension in the air, not necessarily bad, just awkward. Jounouchi nudged Kaiba forward with his elbow to usher him forward.

“They came in this morning! We also got a whole new batch of loose cards if you want to go through those?”

“Sounds great Yugi!” Kaiba stayed glued to his side surprisingly, standing closer than usual, if this was five years ago it might have bothered him, but now, he knew what its like to be anxious. Once Jounouchi stepped up to the glass card display case Kaiba was practically right next to him despite all the room around them. Once Yugi stepped into the back room to grab some of the new stock he turned to face Kaiba.

“Hey, take a deep breath, you okay?” Kaiba broke his façade for once and gave Jounouchi much more open than he ever thought was possible.

“I haven’t been here since... you know,” Kaiba at a loss for the right words was another new experience he didn’t think he would ever see “I’ve never been a good person, but I am ashamed about how I acted and the things I did.” Jounouchi smiled softly and took a chance before slowly placing a hand on Kaiba’s arm, giving him a chance to pull away if he wanted to. Seeing just how much he’s grown over the years was shocking, but he always knew there was a good person in there somewhere.

“Kaiba you’re a great person, the fact that you feel bad is proof enough of that. Besides I wouldn’t be hanging out with you right now if I thought you bad” he let his hand fall back to his side before turning to the card case and pointing down at a card on display, desperate to lighten the mood suddenly feeling awkward with how sincere he had gotten.

“This card looks like you.”

“Saggi the dark clown?” He snorted, it was fond and friendly, feigning insult.

“You know I use to have that card in my deck, right?”

“Well yeah, but it still looks like you” he felt heat blooming in his chest “you haven’t used it in a while though.”

Kaiba seemed to take a moment while staring down at the card “You know, I got that card before I was adopted? It was one of my first duel monster cards” his features were soft as he looked at it “maybe I should put it back in my deck.” Jounouchi smiled softly.

“Maybe you should.” Then Kaiba surprised him again a thin smile playing at his lips as he pointed down at another card in the case.

“That one looks like you.”

“Peten the dark clown? What are we a circus?” and he was laughing, it felt nice. Even Kaiba chuckled under his breath. Right then Yugi came back with a cardboard box in hand, his eyebrows raising to see them laughing together, but then he smiled fondly. Jounouchi grabbed the arm of Kaiba’s shirt to pull him towards where Yugi set the box.

“We got a bunch of booster packs!” then he made a face towards the box “and a few new structure decks but they’re kinda? You know.” They all traded knowing looks, having all been slapped on a structure deck by pegasus at one time or another.

The three of them fell silent as they looked over cards and picked out booster packs. It was calming and eventually he saw Kaiba’s tension almost disappear as he started looking at cards in earnest. At some point they found themselves standing close again, speaking quietly as while bickering over cards. Yugi mostly puttered around the shop to give them space but keeping an eye on them from afar. There was a warm feeling to it all and he could feel the top of his ears flush when Kaiba gave an exasperated sigh and finally agreed that, yes, gamble cards can be beneficial sometimes. And they laughed. He couldn’t help thinking this is how it could have been when they were kids. He knew better, they both had to grow and heal first, but he still felt this sense of lost time hanging on his heart. It was nearly an hour before they finally bought everything they picked out and were ready to leave. Be fore they were able to step out the door Yugi spoke up.

“Hey Kaiba, don’t be a stranger, come back soon okay?”

“I will Yugi, thank you.”

Outside of the shop Jounouchi nudged his side gently while they walked back to his car.

"Feeling better?”

“Yes, I am…” he stood awkwardly, still close to Jounouchi “thank you.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get use to you saying that”

“Me neither” his hands flexed at his side as if there was something he wanted to do but couldn’t bring himself to “I’m trying something new.”

“I like it.” They stood there for a second hardly even three feet apart, unsure of what to do next but wanting to say everything.

“Soooo” Jounouchi finally broke the silence “Want me to drop you off or do you want to call a car?” Kaiba stared at him weighing his options.

“A ride…” he rocked his weight to his other foot “would be appreciated.” Jounouchi’s face couldn’t help but break into a grin.

“Sounds good! You’ll have to point out the way, I don’t think I’ve ever actually been there.”

The ride was nice, as if they finally broke past something. This time round Kaiba actually switched the CD playing and they spent the majority of the ride listening to the quiet radio. The sun had gone down while they were in the game shop, so city lights flooded into the car’s window bathing them in colour. The reds and blues spaying themselves across Kaiba were breathtaking, softening his all angles, it felt like he was glowing. Slowly but surely, they made it through the city and eventually to the manor just out of reach of the city’s noise and busy bustle.

“Let me see your phone.” Kaiba reached his hand in Jounouchi’s direction, palm up.

“Uh, sure?” he struggled for a moment to pull it out of his back pocket but eventually unlocked it and plopped it into Kaiba’s hand “You need to make a call or something?”

“Just give me a second.” He was tapping at the screen fast enough that Jounouchi really had no idea what he was doing and eventually he passed it back, a new contact displayed on the screen “Here.”

“Oh.” He stared at the numbers on the screen while Kaiba climbed out of the car.

“I’ll text you tomorrow before they come to pick you up for the company party, five o’clock at the latest.” He hesitated at the door when Jounouchi looked up at him “Thank you, again, for the ride and for today.”

“No problem,” they held eye contact for just a moment “see you tomorrow Kaiba.” And with that Kaiba closed the passenger door and started his walk up to the front door.

The drive home was silent, Jounouchi having turned the radio off after a few minutes in. he felt breathless, like he was sitting on air. When he eventually did make it back to his apartment it felt different, his mind still lingering on everything that happened earlier that day.

“Hey Jou!” Shizuka called from the couch “you were gone too long, so I ordered pizza, it’s on the counter.”

“Okay cool,” he went to move his bangs out of his face and stilled remembering the party again.

“Hey sis do you think you could help me trim my hair I forgot I was going out tomorrow night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! thanks for the long wait and the continued support! this chapter is extra long i hope you enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading the first chapter of my fic! i hope you enjoyed it and continue to read future updates!


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